Shloka 10

Garuḍa’s Breach of the Amṛta-Guard and Boons with Viṣṇu; Encounter with Indra (Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 29)

Devanagari script

अहं हि सर्प: प्रहित: सोममाहर्तुमुत्तमम्‌ । मातुर्दास्यविमोक्षार्थमाहरिष्ये तमद्य वै,मुझे सर्पोने उत्तम अमृत लानेके लिये भेजा है। माताको दासीपनसे छुटकारा दिलानेके लिये आज मैं निश्चय ही उस अमृतको लाऊँगा

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi sarpaḥ prahitaḥ somam āhartum uttamam | mātur dāsyavimokṣārtham āhariṣye tam adya vai ||

Translation

मुझे सर्पों ने उत्तम सोम (अमृत) लाने के लिए भेजा है। माता को दास्य-बंधन से मुक्त कराने के लिए आज मैं निश्चय ही वह अमृत ले आऊँगा।

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• सर्पः: snake/serpent
• सर्पः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहितः: sent/dispatched
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-हि (धातु: हि/हिण्, प्रेरणे) + क्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सोमम्: Soma (nectar)
• सोमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहर्तुम्: to bring/obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु: हृ, हरणे) तुमुन्
• Form: Infinitive, —, —

• उत्तमम्: best/supreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मातुः: of (my) mother
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• दास्य: of slavery/servitude
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• विमोक्षार्थम्: for the purpose of release
• विमोक्षार्थम्: Prayojana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमोक्ष + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहरिष्ये: I will bring
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु: हृ, हरणे)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular

• तम्: that (it/him)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• वै: certainly/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

गरुड उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• serpents (Nāgas)
• Soma/Amṛta (nectar of immortality)
• mother (Vinātā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as filial responsibility: a righteous goal (freeing one’s mother from servitude) justifies undertaking extreme risk, guided by a firm vow and selfless intent rather than greed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Garuḍa announces his mission: the Nāgas have commissioned him to obtain the supreme Soma/Amṛta, and he resolves to bring it immediately so that his mother Vinātā can be released from enslavement.